University College London is starting a new Masters Degree module -PRACTICAL ETHNOGRAPHIC AND DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING

“We live in a world of moving images. To participate fully in the study of society and culture we need to be as confident in the use of moving images as in the printed word.”
This will be a practical course in hands-on documentary filmmaking for credit as part of a Masters Degree in the University of London. It will be an optional half module with preference given to students taking the “History of Ethnographic Film” and the “Critical Visual Culture” modules at UCL. Places are also available for outside students to participate. Students from the University of London can take the course for credit depending on their department’s agreement. Non-university students are encouraged to take the course and will receive a stand-alone UCL certificate on completion.
This course provides training in the use of digital media, cameras and Final Cut Pro editing, and will teach students broadcast quality filmmaking by anthropologists who are also award-winning professional documentarists. The course will develop the students’ critical skills of film analysis through practical hands-on work and the experience of creating a 15 minute video project.

This UCL initiative is a response to the growing need among anthropologists to use digital media as a research tool and as a method of presenting research outcomes. It aims to teach students practical digital filmmaking skills and contribute to their formation as anthropologists. It will demystify the process of filmmaking, and open new ways of reading and understanding visual ethnographies.

The course will run in Term Two, 12th Jan – 27th March 2009, and consist of 4 hours of lectures and seminars every week for 9 weeks, and 60 hours of hands-on camera and editing exercises to produce a final 15 minute video. The final video must be completed by the beginning of the Summer term, Friday April 17th 2009. Assessment will be 80% on the video project and 20% on an accompanying project diary.

Please apply for the course by the beginning of September by emailing Dr. Michael Stewart at m.stewart@ucl.ac.uk

For further course details either email senior course tutor, Dr. Michael Yorke m.yorke@ucl.ac.uk tel: +44 (0)20-7794-3824 or look at the UCL online newsflash at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/anthropology/news/index.htm